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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26042911">sounds fishy to me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iris_Duncan_72/pseuds/Iris_Duncan_72'>Iris_Duncan_72</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Gay Panic, Humor, M/M, Merpeople, Mutual Pining, Pining, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and a dash of, and a smidge of fantasy in the form of, just #jisungproblemz, maybe even, when you're gay for your bff and awkward as fuck about it, why is this so long bro do not even ask, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:00:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,339</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26042911</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iris_Duncan_72/pseuds/Iris_Duncan_72</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Felix urgently needs a bathtub.  Jisung has a bathtub.  Shenanigans ensue.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Han Jisung | Han/Lee Felix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>268</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>favorites ♥</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>sounds fishy to me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>the title is a pun, yes.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jisung's phone lit up with an incoming call, buzzing quietly on his bed, and he stared at it like a starving creature spotting food for the first time in weeks.  It was just far enough away that he couldn't see the caller ID and his hand clenched around his pencil.  There were two wolves inside of him - one that sounded suspiciously like Seungmin which ordered him to keep going with his music notation and one that sounded much more like Minho as it told him, quite distinctly, <em>fuck the rules</em>.  Jisung had been solely focused on the assignment for at least twenty seven minutes and, quite frankly, that had to be a record.  He deserved a break.</p><p>Mind made up, he set down the pencil and stood, wincing as his spine cracked unpleasantly.  His phone was probably a second or two from sending the caller to voicemail so he squinted, trying to read the name -</p><p>
  <em><span class="tlid-translation translation"><span class="">행복</span></span>이</em>
</p><p>An extremely embarrassing sort of whine escaped Jisung as he lunged towards his bed, both hands reaching for the phone.  He crashed onto the rumpled covers, scooped up his prize like it was a holy artifact - and it went quiet.  A notification for one missed call flashed across the screen, bisecting the photo of him and Minho beaming outside Lotte World last summer.  Jisung stared at the phone and after a moment it went dark, reflecting his disappointed expression back at him so he had to suffer twice as much.  Unable to bear the accusation in his own eyes, he dropped the phone by his head and flung an arm over his face, groaning dramatically.</p><p><em>Way to go, loser,</em> Jisung thought miserably.  <em>He'll probably call Changbin-hyung instead.</em></p><p>Changbin always picked up his phone, unless he was in class or a recording session.  He was reliable like that, unlike Jisung.  Given the current time and day of the week, Changbin was likely in the university's gym pumping enough iron to give Jisung a heart attack should he be so foolish as to try lifting -</p><p>
  <em>Bzzz.</em>
</p><p>Jisung nearly tore a muscle as he whipped around to check his phone, heart thumping with renewed hope.  He'd barely consciously registered the name on the screen before swiping to answer and smacking the phone to his ear hard enough that he was going to have a tender spot on the side of his head for the next couple of days.</p><p>'Hey, Felix,' he said calmly, except that he tried to swallow the sudden excess of saliva in his mouth at the same time, which resulted in an incomprehensible gurgling sound coming out instead of actual words.</p><p>He had just enough time to wish fervently for a stray meteor to smash through the roof of his apartment and kill him instantly before Felix started speaking.  Surprisingly, he wasn't teasing Jisung for being ridiculous and, more surprisingly still, he sounded very stressed.  Possibly even upset.</p><p>
  <em>'Jisung, can I come over?  Like, right now?  For the night?  Please?'</em>
</p><p>Jisung sat bolt upright, the Gay-For-Lee-Felix part of him howling in delight at the thought of so much one-on-one time together mostly drowned out by the Concerned-And-Caring-Best-Friend-Of-Lee-Felix part of him.</p><p>'Um.  Sure, of course.  Are you - are you okay?  You don't sound, uh -'</p><p><em>'I'm fine, I'm fine,'</em> Felix said quickly, sounding anything <em>but</em> fine.  <em>'It's just - I mean - well.'</em></p><p>He went quiet, hesitating, and the worry pooling in Jisung's gut grew sharp little claws.</p><p>'Felix?  What's going on?  You can tell me, I'm not gonna, like, judge you or report you or anything,' Jisung rambled, the words tasting horrendously cheesy.  He didn't take them back, though, because he meant them.  Felix could probably commit murder and Jisung's first words would be to offer an alibi.</p><p>
  <em>'No, no, really, it's nothing like that.  I just.  Listen, your bath still works, right?'</em>
</p><p>His... bath?  <em>What?</em></p><p>'Uh.  Yeah.  Last time I checked, anyway, and that was less than a week ago.  Do you, um, need to use it?'</p><p><em>'Yes,'</em> Felix said at once.  <em>'I was going to use Chan-hyung's but he just texted me and apparently the plumbing in his building has completely fucked up and you're the only other person I know with a bath and I'm sorry it's so last minute but this is really important so -'</em></p><p>'Woah, woah, calm down there,' Jisung interrupted, hopping to his feet and starting to pace in order to expend some of his nervous energy.  'It's fine, Felix.  It's not an inconvenience at all.  Shit, I'd be happy for the company.'</p><p><em>'Thanks, Jisungie, thank you so much.'</em>  Even over the phone, the sheer relief in Felix's voice came through loud and clear.  <em>'You are literally a life saver.'</em></p><p>Jisung snorted, trying to scrape the enormous grin off his face and failing utterly.  'And don't you forget it,' he joked.</p><p><em>'I won't,'</em> Felix said, dead serious.  <em>'See you soon, okay?  I'll bring cheesecake.'</em></p><p>With that, he hung up and Jisung was left with way too many questions and nowhere near enough answers.  Then the enormity of the situation hit him like a freight train to the face and he yelped out loud - Felix was coming over.  To stay the night.  And the apartment was, as his mother liked to put it, a <em>bombsite.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Felix arrived just under an hour later, by which point Jisung had tidied the apartment to an acceptable level.</p><p>'I owe you bubble tea for the next six months,' were the first words out of Felix's mouth when Jisung opened the door.  He had a backpack slung over one shoulder, a white card box in his hands, and the air of a man pushed to his limits about him, aided by the wide, unblinking eyes and the thoroughly windswept hair.</p><p>'I - sure,' Jisung said, stepping back to let Felix walk inside.  'Far be it from me to turn down such a generous offer, but I'm not sure this <em>really</em> warrants such a thing.'</p><p>'No, it definitely does,' Felix countered, toeing off his shoes and making a beeline for the fridge.  'This is key lime, by the way, from that place on the edge of campus.'</p><p>Jisung made an appreciative noise as Felix deposited the box of cheesecake in the fridge, before spinning on his heel and making for the bathroom.</p><p>Trailing behind him, Jisung asked, 'Is Chan-hyung gonna be okay?  Where's he staying until the plumbing is fixed?'</p><p>'With Changbin-hyung,' Felix tossed over his shoulder as he opened the bathroom door.  'He's got a spare futon.'</p><p>Jisung winced.  All <em>he</em> had was an air mattress that he was pretty sure had a hole in it somewhere.  Once again, Changbin was showing him up and Jisung wouldn't be so hung up on it, he <em>wouldn't</em>, except Changbin and Felix dated for five months a couple of years ago and despite the fact that the split had been amicable and <em>Felix</em> had initiated it, Jisung's stupid heart couldn't see Changbin as anything other than a rival in love.</p><p><em>If this was a manga, I'd be the best friend who never gets the girl,</em> Jisung thought with great distress.</p><p>'Ah.'</p><p>Blinking back to reality, Jisung poked his head around Felix's (very broad) shoulders, glancing between the empty bath and Felix's pensive expression.  'What?'</p><p>'Nothing's wrong,' Felix promptly refuted, although the trepidation with which he was regarding the tub suggested otherwise.  'Everything's fine.'</p><p>'Felix.'</p><p>Felix cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed.  'It's just, um, a bit smaller than Chan-hyung's.  But it's fine!  Don't worry about it.'</p><p>Jisung valiantly fought the urge to go and climb into his fridge alongside the cheesecake.  <em>I'm not even the best friend, I'm one of the greasy side characters who gets one line per arc,</em> he despaired in the questionable safety of his own mind.</p><p>'I'm - I'm sorry?' he tried.  'If it's not big enough, I can, uh - '  <em>You can</em> what<em>, exactly?  Get him a bucket??  Plug the door the and flood the whole room???</em></p><p>'This will do just fine,' Felix declared firmly, turning to blind Jisung with a (beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, traffic-stopping) smile.  'I'm lucky not be stuck with using a sink.'</p><p>Jisung opened his mouth to ask what it was that Felix was planning to do with the bath, but Felix wasn't finished.</p><p>'Your parents still pay your utilities, right?  You're not on a budget, are you?'</p><p>Brows furrowing in total confusion, Jisung nodded.  'Yeah, they're pretty chill about that stuff, as long as I keep my grades up.  Why?  How much water do you need?'</p><p>Felix swallowed hard, glancing back at the tub.  'A lot.  A few baths worth, at least.  If that's okay.'</p><p>'Woah, okay, uh.  Yeah.  Go for it.  Use as much as you gotta, don't sweat it.'</p><p>Sagging with relief, Felix said, 'Awesome, I'm holding you to that.  I know it's abrupt but do you mind if I start now?'</p><p>'Start what?' Jisung asked.</p><p>Felix arched a brow.  'The bath.'</p><p>Jisung flushed.  'Yeah, no, I know that, I mean -' he took a breath - 'what are you doing with the bath?  Like, is this a project or something?'</p><p>'Um, no.  I'm just.  Having a bath.'</p><p>Jisung squinted at him and Felix shifted his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably.</p><p>'And you need to have six baths today because...?'</p><p>'Because I do.'</p><p>'That is about the farthest thing from a helpful answer.'</p><p>Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Felix shot him a sideways look.  'Listen, I'm sorry but - but I can't tell you any more than that.  All you need to know is that it's super-duper important that I have six baths today.'</p><p>Jisung rocked back on his heels, hurt a sour sting in his chest.  'So you're gonna... spend the whole time in here?  Bathing for mysterious reasons?'</p><p>Felix dropped his gaze to the floor.  'I can take a break in a couple of hours, if, um, if you want.  We could play something, maybe?'</p><p>Jisung was tempted to say no, but only briefly.  That would be an absolute dick of a move and make the rest of Felix's stay incredibly awkward.  Sure, he was a little upset that Felix wasn't letting him in on the secret, but he trusted Felix.  They were best friends, after all.  Felix wouldn't keep something from Jisung without good reason.</p><p>'Sounds good,' he said, ninety percent sincerely.  'I've got an assignment I should be working on, anyway, so a Mario Kart break in a bit would be great.'</p><p>Felix brightened, the anxious look on his face melting away.  'It's a date then.  Can't wait to kick your ass all the way down Rainbow Road!'</p><p>Unfortunately, by the time critical functions had been restored in Jisung's brain after that absolute wrecking ball (<em>It's a date then</em>), Felix had winked, pushed him out into the hall, and shut the door, depriving him of a chance at the last word.  This left him with no choice but to return, armed with cheesecake and a spoon, to his assignment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It took Jisung half his cheesecake supply and a fifteen minute phone call with Minho to pull himself together enough to concentrate on anything other than a tiny water stain with unknown origins high on his wall.  At least twelve of those minutes were taken up by Jisung sighing that Felix probably didn't consider them best friends anymore which was why he was keeping secrets and whispering furiously that it <em>wasn't</em> impossible Felix had followed in Jeongin's footsteps and gotten into witchcraft and was trying to raise Cthulhu in a bathtub.  As expected of Jisung's platonic soulmate, Minho recognised most of this as complete bullshit and ruthlessly denounced it as such before going on to add that despite this probably being a result of far too much overthinking on Jisung's part, the bath situation did sound a bit fishy.</p><p>None of this solved any of Jisung's problems but it did make him feel a bit calmer.  After Minho booted him off the call with a cheerful <em>'I'd say don't be daft about it but that would go against the grain of your existence, love you!'</em>, Jisung actually managed to pay attention to his assignment for long enough that he was startled by a knock on the doorway of his tiny bedroom.  His head jerked up and by the skin of his teeth he restrained the pathetic little whimper crawling up his throat.</p><p>Felix blinked at him from under a tousled fringe that looked like it was considering dripping, clad in shorts and a plain white t-shirt that stuck to his skin in some places (why wasn't that illegal.  Jisung was pretty sure it was illegal).  'How's the assignment going?' he asked.</p><p>Jisung unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth.  'Uh, great.  Amazing.  Totally not clawing my eyes out over alto clef to bass clef conversions.'</p><p>Felix laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners and perfectly straight teeth on display, and Jisung fell a little further in love.  He wasn't worried.  This was a common occurrence.</p><p>'Ready to ditch the clefs for video games?'</p><p>In the blink of an eye, Jisung was out of his chair and hustling Felix back towards the main room.  'I've been ready for <em>hours</em>, Felix, <em>hours,</em> I tell you.'</p><p>They piled onto Jisung's old but comfy sofa in front of the TV with the rest of the cheesecake and bag of jelly snakes Jisung had been saving for a rainy day (he'd forgotten about it) and cheerfully whiled away an hour or so chasing each other up and down various maps (including Rainbow Road).  Felix won eight times out of ten, much to Jisung's fury, but the sheer delight with which Felix crowed his victory every time, leaping up from the couch and waving his arms around in excitement, did wonders for soothing Jisung's dented pride.  Jisung managed to restrain himself to only asking once about the mysterious business with the bath, and that was to find out if the tub was adequately serving Felix's needs despite its small size, to which the answer was thankfully yes.</p><p>It was after one of Jisung's very few wins that Felix glanced over at his phone, balanced on the flattened arm of the sofa.  It was flashing with a text notification and Jisung paid little attention to Felix grabbing it, busy as he was with completing his immaculately choreographed victory dance.  A low whistle distracted him, however, and he flopped back down next to Felix.</p><p>'What's up?  That didn't sound like a happy whistle.'</p><p>'Chan-hyung's whole building is flooding,' Felix said, staring at his phone.  'Some pretty major pipes burst and they've had to evacuate everyone.'</p><p>'Oh <em>shit,'</em> Jisung swore.  'Someone better get the mains switched off before everything in there's unsalvageable.'</p><p>'Mhm.'</p><p>In the silence that followed, a thought occurred to Jisung and he turned his head on the back rest towards Felix, who's attention was still diverted.  'Hey, Felix.'</p><p>'Mm?'</p><p>Jisung watched that beautiful freckled face closely as he asked, 'Does Chan-hyung know why you need a bathtub?'</p><p>Felix looked up with a start and yep, there was the flicker of guilt Jisung had been so hoping not to see.  He was pretty sure that distant shattering noise he could hear was his heart but now was not the time for that.</p><p>'Okay, uh, that's fine of course, haha,' Jisung rambled, quickly turning away before Felix's big eyes made him cry.  'I just, um, it's a secret, I know, I guess I thought -'</p><p>'Jisung.'  Felix silenced the deluge of useless words pouring out of Jisung's mouth by placing his hand on Jisung's forearm.  'Jisung, Chan-hyung knows because he has the same.  Uh.  The same... <em>thing</em><em>.'</em></p><p>The Gay-For-Lee-Felix part of Jisung abruptly stopped sobbing its eyes out and he whipped around to pin Felix with a sharp look, but there was only apologetic sincerity shining in Felix's expression.  'Oh,' he mumbled.  'Right.'</p><p>Felix gently squeezed Jisung's bare arm and suddenly Jisung was resisting the urge to cry again.  'I... I swear this isn't something I <em>want</em> to keep from you, it's not because I don't trust you, really, but -' he exhaled shakily, visibly anxious for Jisung to believe him - 'it's not something I can just <em>tell</em> people.'</p><p>Jisung abruptly felt like a total asshole.  Whatever the hell was going on between Felix and the bathtub, it was clearly really personal.  If he felt like he couldn't share his secret with Jisung, it was <em>not</em> Jisung's job to pout and whine like a little bitch.  It was his job to do whatever it took to help Felix do what he had to do in as unstressful an environment as possible.</p><p><em>I am so whipped for this guy,</em> Jisung thought as he dared to lay his hand over Felix's and say, 'I'm being a jerk about this, I'm sorry.  Don't feel bad about it, okay?  I'll stop prying, promise.'</p><p>Felix offered a tiny smile, somewhat reassured.  'Thanks, Jisungie.  You're actually being a lot more relaxed about this than I was expecting.'</p><p>Indignant, Jisung swiped a jelly snake out of the bag and smacked Felix's knee with it.  'I don't know what you're talking about, of <em>course</em> I'm being relaxed.'</p><p>The smile broadened into a grin as Felix playfully shoved Jisung into the cushions.  'Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.  I'm gonna head off now, see you in another couple of hours.'  So saying, he stood and made for the bathroom, calling over his shoulder just before he disappeared out of sight, 'You're in charge of organising dinner!'</p><p>'Hey!' Jisung squawked, leaping to his feet.</p><p>Alas, he was too late - Felix had already shut himself in the bathroom, leaving only the echo of his smug laughter.</p><p>Collapsing back onto the sofa, he ground the heels of his palms into his eyes and groaned, 'Han Jisung, you are <em>so</em> whipped.'</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It wasn't till about half an hour later that Jisung realised he no longer had a toilet available to him.  He despaired for a moment, then remembered that his neighbour, widely acclaimed President of their university's Big Tittie Committee, had told Jisung when he moved in that if he ever needed anything, Matthew's door was open to him.  Praying to every god he could think of that the offer had been genuine, Jisung left his apartment and went to the next one down.  Fortunately for him and his bladder, Matthew was home and he waved aside Jisung's tangle of apologies and half-baked explanations, shooing Jisung in the direction of the bathroom.</p><p>The surreal experience was over almost as quickly as it began and, weirdly, Jisung didn't feel as mortified as he thought he should.  Returning to his own apartment, he heard the sound of running water and wondered what number bath Felix was up to.  However, lingering on such thoughts for any length of time was just <em>asking</em> for trouble, so Jisung plopped down in front of the TV again and decided to burn some more brain cells in a solo Mario Kart run.</p><p>This worked as a semi-successful distraction tactic until he heard a vehement <em>'FUCK!'</em> ring out from the bathroom.</p><p>Dropping his controller, Jisung paid no attention to the sight of Princess Peach plunging off the edge of a steep ravine, crossing the small living area in a heartbeat.  Hesitantly, he placed a hand flat on the bathroom door, heart in his throat.</p><p>'Felix?' he called.  'Is everything okay in there?'</p><p>A moment of palpable silence before Felix's muffled voice replied, 'I - I forgot something.  I left it at the dorm and I, uh, I really need it.'</p><p>Well, shit.</p><p>'Can you tell me what it is?' Jisung asked.  'Maybe I have... one... of... it?'</p><p>The silence grew thicker, pressing down on his shoulders.</p><p>'I need something abrasive,' Felix said at last.  'Like sand paper but not so harsh.'</p><p>Jisung stared at the door.  This day was going strangely enough and now.  Felix wanted a sand paper alternative?  While having a <em>bath?</em>  Knocking a fist lightly against his forehead, he offered, 'I have one of those sponges for scrubbing the shit out of pots?  That's kind of abrasive.  Would that, um, work?'</p><p>Seriously, if this silence got any heavier Jisung was going to have a hard time breathing.</p><p>'That'd be great,' came the eventual reply.  'Could you get it for me, please?'</p><p>'Sure, just a sec.'</p><p>Jisung moved into the little kitchenette and opened the cupboard under his sink.  That same sense of surrealism he'd had before crept over him, leaving him partially convinced he'd fallen asleep at his desk hours ago and this was all a lucid dream.  Continuing nonetheless, Jisung found the sponge and rubbed his thumb over it.  Yep, the thing was plenty rough.</p><p>Returning to the bathroom door, he said, 'I have it here, Felix.  Um.  Do you want to come to the door and get it?'</p><p>'I can't,' was the despairing response.</p><p>Jisung swallowed, not liking where this was going.  'Should I just slip it inside the door and flick it towards the tub?'</p><p>Another pause, then Felix groaned, an all too recognisable sound of sheer frustration and resignation.  'I can't,' he repeated.</p><p>And that left one option, didn't it.  Amazing.</p><p>Thumping his head not-so-gently against the wall, Jisung said, 'Listen, I can shut my eyes.  I know that room pretty well so if I walk slowly I could just... bring it to you.'</p><p>There was a warbling noise, like someone (presumably Felix, please just Felix, Jisung couldn't deal with Cthulhu) screaming underwater and, quite frankly, that was about where Jisung was at too.</p><p>'I'll put on an eye mask,' Jisung continued, palms starting to sweat for some dumb reason that had less to do with the fact that Felix might be naked on the other side of the door and more to do with the fact that Jisung was going to get so close to whatever Felix's secret was.  'I promise I won't peek.'</p><p>'Okay, okay, go on then.'</p><p>Jisung darted into his room and found the squirrel eye mask Seungmin had given him for his last birthday.  Slipping it onto his head, he left his room, pulse steadily picking up speed at the preposterousness of what he was about to do.</p><p>'I'm ready,' Jisung called through the door.</p><p>'...You can come in.'</p><p>Pulling the mask down over his eyes, Jisung turned the handle and slowly entered the bathroom, the sponge held tightly in one hand.</p><p>'Uh.  Hi,' he said awkwardly, facing the general direction of the bath.</p><p>'Hi, Jisung.'</p><p>At least Felix sounded a little amused by the situation.  No doubt Jisung would too, but perhaps not while he was in the midst of it.  He took a careful step forward, sliding his bare foot over the tile.  Water sloshed ahead and Felix cursed under his breath.</p><p>'You're good, nothing's going to trip you,' Felix reassured Jisung as he inched his way across the room.  'And... thanks for this, really.  I know it's all very weird.'</p><p>Jisung's automatic response was to wave his hands in a dismissive gesture but he'd barely started when Felix inhaled sharply.  Jisung froze, hands in mid-air.</p><p>'What?  What's wrong?'</p><p>'Um.'  Felix's voice was husky with strain.  'Just - just careful where you're putting your hands.  Please.'</p><p>'Oh, uh, okay?  You got it,' Jisung said, lowering his hands to waist-height, keeping them slightly out in front of him.  He stepped forward again and halted momentarily, nostrils flaring as he caught an unusual scent.  Kind of like... the sea?  Or fish?  'Do you have seaweed in here?' he blurted out before he remembered he wasn't meant to be asking anything.</p><p>Felix coughed.  'No.'</p><p>Jisung took another two steps forward and offered the sponge a little higher, knowing he was near the tub.  'Can you reach it?' he asked.</p><p>Water splashed against a hard surface again and he got the <em>faintest</em> impression of movement somewhere not too far in front of his face, which was interesting because Felix's voice was coming from much lower than that.  Fingers brushed his own and Jisung jolted, then let go of the sponge, feeling it slip away.</p><p>'Got it,' Felix murmured.</p><p>There was a distinct pause then, a quiet acknowledgement of the end of the transaction and an expectation that Jisung would turn around and head back for the door.  <em>Jisung</em> expected Jisung to do that.  But as he teetered on the edge of a decision, the more reckless part of him won out.  Maybe it was the Gay-For-Lee-Felix part.</p><p>'You know I'd never judge you for something you couldn't control, right?'  The words tumbled out of him in a rush, his shoulders tense.  'You know that if this is - is something embarrassing, I wouldn't tease you about it, right?'</p><p>'Jisung,' Felix began softly.</p><p>'I don't mean to harass you about whatever this is, I really don't, and I'm sorry I'm bringing it up again when I said I wouldn't,' Jisung rambled, heart tripping in his chest, 'and I pinky swear I won't do it again but - but I just need to know that <em>you</em> know that you can tell me anything.  Anything at all.  And that you're not telling me about, um, this -' he made a small sweeping gesture, conscious of Felix's concern when he'd moved his arms too much - 'because you've decided not to.  Not because you think you <em>can't</em>, but because you don't want to, for your own reasons.'</p><p>The silence that followed was the heaviest one yet and it dragged on for so long that Jisung thought Felix wasn't going to say anything.  But then -</p><p>'It's not normal,' Felix whispered.  'It's really, really weird, Jisung.  People like talking about weird things but they can't find out about this.  It would be extremely dangerous for me and - and for Chan-hyung.'</p><p>'My brain has literally been doing cartwheels all afternoon,' Jisung confessed.  'At this point, I don't think it could be any weirder than what I've imagined.  And I might not be the best secret keeper in the world, but I like to think I can keep my mouth shut when it counts.  If this is important to you, and to Chan-hyung as well, then I'd keep your secret even if someone offered me all the key lime cheesecake in the world.'</p><p>Felix's breath left him in a sharp gust and water sloshed again.  Hope burned like a mouthful of hot coals and Jisung physically bit his tongue to keep from saying more.</p><p>'You say that now,' Felix muttered, muffled like his hands were over his face.  'I'm pretty sure you'd scream if you, um, saw... it.'  His voice got smaller, his nerves shining through.  'I don't want to freak you out.  I don't want you to treat me, y'know, weirdly or - or avoid me or -'</p><p>'Felix, there was like ten minutes when I genuinely thought you were summoning Cthulhu,' Jisung interrupted.</p><p>A splutter.  'Wait, you - what?  You thought <em>what?'</em></p><p>'You've been hanging out with Jeongin a lot, okay,' Jisung whined, heat crawling up his cheeks.  'Maybe you got into witchcraft too, I dunno.'</p><p>There was faint laughter from the tub and another skin-prickling sensation of something moving at head height in Jisung's vicinity.</p><p>'Right, well, it's definitely not that,' Felix said, his smile audible.  'But, uh, maybe a similar level of weirdness?'</p><p>'Can't promise I wouldn't scream,' Jisung said, because honesty was important, 'but any freaking out would be temporary, I swear.'</p><p>The very air seemed to hold its breath, waiting on tenterhooks for the verdict.</p><p>'You have to <em>swear</em> you won't tell anyone,' Felix blurted.  'No matter what.'</p><p>Anticipation punched Jisung in the chest and for a moment he thought he might be sick.  He hadn't actually expected to change Felix's mind.</p><p>'I swear, I swear, I'll never breathe a word of it,' Jisung vowed when he could breathe again, holding his hand out to Felix again, little finger extended.  Call him childish, but as far as he was concerned, a pinky promise was more legally binding than a blood contract signed in triplicate.</p><p>'I can't believe I'm doing this, oh my <em>god,'</em> Felix grumbled, looping his finger through Jisung's and shaking once.  'Just don't faint on me, okay?  I can't catch you like this.'</p><p>Slightly light-headed at the thought of swooning back into the secure embrace of Felix's strong arms, Jisung cleared his throat and nodded fervently.  'You got it, no fainting.' He lifted a hand to the mask lying snug across his face and, after just a single second of hesitation, pushed it up onto his forehead.</p><p>Jisung didn't scream.  That would have required him to have air in his lungs, which he certainly did <em>not.</em>  Instead, he made an extremely feeble sort of whimper that got mangled in the back of his throat and limped brokenly out into -</p><p>Felix had a fish tail.  A <em>fish tail.</em></p><p>It was quite a lovely one, slick with water and shimmering under the lights, the scales a colour that Jisung thought might possibly be indigo, and it was plainly much too long for this bathtub, the end curved up well out of the water and the flukes fluttering not far from Jisung's face and -</p><p>And it was a tail.  Felix had a <em>tail.</em>  No legs.  Just a multi-jointed limb covered in shiny scales that trailed up over his hips and dusted the sides of his ribs (<em>do not stare at his abs, do not stare at his abs, do not FUCKING stare at his abs</em>)<em>,</em> a few scattered over his neck, jaw, and cheekbones.  Felix's eyes, soft and brown and oh-so-familiar, stared up at Jisung and it took him several awkwardly long moments to realise that Felix was waiting for a response.  That his lips were pursed and his shoulders stiff.  That he was <em>scared.</em></p><p>'You're even more beautiful like this oh my god what the <em>fuck,'</em> Jisung's mouth croaked without any input from his brain, it currently showing only a blue screen of death and being on fire.</p><p>Felix squeaked, freckles disappearing under a wave of red, and his flukes flipped forward, sending several drops of cold water flying into Jisung's face.  The unexpected attack startled him out of his stupor and he promptly clapped his hands over his mouth, horrified.</p><p>'I mean, uh -'  The sentence petered out and died as quickly as it began.  Shit, how did he come back from a confession as blunt as <em>that?</em></p><p>One of those huge, irrepressible, patented Sunshine Smilesᵀᴹ unfurled across Felix's face and he gripped the edge of the tub, tilting towards Jisung.  'Really?'  He somehow managed to sound both excited and shy.  'You think so?'</p><p>Jisung felt like someone had shoved his heart in a blender and set it to full power without putting the lid on.  Was this what it meant to go into cardiac arrest?  Moving his hands just enough that most of his mouth was uncovered, he scrounged up the courage to mumble, 'Um, yeah.  Yeah.  Like, have you seen yourself?  I can get a mirror if you want.'</p><p>Felix burst out laughing, tension visibly draining from him, and he rolled over, sending another shower of water around the room and onto Jisung as he braced his elbows on the bath for better leverage.  While Jisung wanted to watch Felix's face scrunch up in sheer joy till the day he died, the fish tail was very distracting and his wide-eyed stare flicked to it, a magnet to its lodestone.  As utterly confounding as the presence of the tail was (at least 25% of Jisung's brain was simply curled up in a corner of his skull, screaming), it <em>was</em> beautiful in an enchanting, alien way.</p><p>'I don't get to bring my tail out often,' Felix said wistfully.  'It's... nice to have someone to show it off to.  I never thought I'd actually get to, y'know, aside from with Chan-hyung.'  His gaze dipped towards solemn.  'You see why I didn't want you to know, right?'</p><p>Jisung swallowed past the boulder in his throat.  'Yeah, I get it.  I'm - I'm glad you trusted me with this part of yourself, though.  I'm really glad.'  The words were cheesy as fuck but that didn't matter right now, not when Felix was looking a little uncertain again.  He glanced at Felix's tail once more, taking in how tiny the tub was, and snorted.  'I know my bath isn't as big as Chan-hyung's, but you can use it again any time you're in a pinch or even, um, if you... just feel like it...'</p><p>Felix beamed, momentarily blinding Jisung.  'Thanks, Jisung.  I can go for about five months now without needing to shift and it's a hassle so I usually push it right to the limit.'  He looked away, abashed.  'That's why I was in such a panic today, I really couldn't leave it any longer.'</p><p>Sinking down to sit on his knees, Jisung said earnestly, 'Well, you can use my bath whenever you want, okay?  I don't care how much water you use or if I need to buy a new pot-scrubbing sponge every time.'</p><p>'Hmm, I might take you up on that then,' Felix hummed happily, his flukes fanning overhead, revealing a ribbed membrane with darker tips.</p><p>Quiet settled over them for a brief time, much more comfortable than the previous ones.</p><p>Then, in a hushed, hesitant voice, Felix asked, 'So... you think I'm beautiful?'</p><p>Jisung immediately went red as a tomato and he stared, wide-eyed, searching for any sign of displeasure in Felix's expression.  To his surprise, however, he found none.  'Um, yes?' he squeaked.  'I - I do?'</p><p>Felix looked back at him, his eyes just as huge.  'Oh,' he whispered, his tail going very still.  Silence threatened to descend again, but Felix had another question - 'Why?'</p><p>That one was harder to answer, and not simply because <em>everything</em> about Felix was beautiful.  Why did he even want to know?</p><p>Licking his dry lips, Jisung mumbled, 'Well, it's true, isn't it?  You're - you <em>are.'</em>  Cursing his inability to properly explain, Jisung's hands began to flutter in an effort to help.  'I mean... I kinda wanna cry every time you smile at me and and, like, that dance you do when you win at Mario Kart is so dumb but I love it so I guess that makes me dumb too and -'</p><p>This was trespassing <em>way</em> too close to Actual Love Confession territory and Jisung slammed shut his mouth with an audible <em>click.</em>  Shit.  Could he blame it on shock?  It hadn't even been ten minutes since he'd taken off the sleep mask, but if the way Felix was staring at him was anything to judge by, that didn't seem super likely, which, okay, understandable.</p><p>'Wow,' Felix breathed, and Jisung's face <em>burned.</em>  'If I didn't know better, I'd say that sounded like a confession.'  He paused deliberately, then added, 'Unless I <em>don't</em> know better.'</p><p>Jisung did not move a <em>single</em> muscle.</p><p>Felix leaned out a little further over the edge of the bath, that faint salty tang accompanying him, his eyes unblinking.  'You see,' he said, continuing quiet but determined, 'there's a reason I haven't dated anyone since Changbinnie-hyung and it's not for lack of interest.'  Water sloshed behind him and his tail arched and curved meaningfully.  'So if -'</p><p>'You definitely don't know better,' Jisung blurted, his pulse a booming drum in his ears.  'That was a -'</p><p>He choked on the word, not quite able to believe this was happening because yes, the thought of Felix <em>liking him too</em> was even more incomprehensible to him than the reality of Felix having a goddamn fish tail.</p><p>A tiny, shy smile curled up the corners of Felix's mouth, rendering him impossibly cute.  Reaching out with a tentative hand, Felix brushed his fingertips over Jisung's jaw, curling his fingers in the gentlest beckoning motion Jisung had ever felt.  Fireworks exploding in his gut, Jisung pushed up into a kneeling position, putting him face to face with Felix, and placed his hands on the tub's rim.  His left thumb nudged Felix's right pinky and when Felix shifted his finger so it was wrapped over Jisung's, his brain glitched and the blue screen of death was back.</p><p>'Okay?' Felix asked quietly, gaze dipping to Jisung's lips and up again.</p><p>'Mhm,' Jisung managed, fairly certain that the anticipatory tension was going to kill him in about two seconds if something didn't -</p><p>Felix's lashes fluttered down and he kissed Jisung, his lips as soft as perfectly cooked dumplings, chapstick-sweet and just barely salty.  Jisung's soul left him immediately, only to slam back into his body when Felix tilted his head head a fraction and pressed slightly harder.  Jisung leaned into the kiss, moving slow and careful, like they were middle schoolers instead of twenty-something-year-olds.  They broke apart a moment later, staying close enough that their noses skimmed one another's and Jisung could count every one of Felix's lashes if he wanted to.  Felix's hand burned hot as a brand on Jisung's jaw and he loved it.</p><p>'So...' Felix murmured into the fragile bubble that seemed to have formed around them.</p><p>'I am really, really fucking gay for you,' Jisung breathed, having no brain cells left to care about his lack of eloquence.</p><p>Apparently Felix didn't mind, however, because he <em>giggled,</em> all breathy and cute, and he stroked his thumb over Jisung's skin, raising goosebumps down his spine.</p><p>'That's excellent news,' Felix whispered, 'seeing how I'm really, really, <em>really</em> fucking gay for <em>you.'</em></p><p>He kissed Jisung again before Jisung could get another word out, more confident this time, his mouth firm and his movements sure.  Jisung had no defences against him and he let Felix guide the kiss, his blood turning to molten rock in his veins when Felix parted his lips, nipping Jisung's lower lip and grinning through the kiss at the squeak Jisung let out.  And if Felix's tail was waving with carefree abandon, flecking them both with pinpricks of cold water, well, neither of them really minded.  They were a bit distracted, after all.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was some considerable time later that a thought suddenly crashed into Jisung's head and he sat bolt upright.</p><p>
  <em>'CHAN-HYUNG'S A MER PERSON TOO?'</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>it is possible i speed-wrote this in 48-ish hours to avoid my current wip.</p><p>for anyone who's wondering what the hell the scrubby sponge was for - salt water, i.e. the ocean, is pretty harsh stuff and is a natural cleaner for mer scales. as felix very rarely swims in the ocean, let alone with his tail, he needs to do that cleaning by hand to maintain the health of his scales.</p><p>
  <a href="https://ficbook.net/readfic/9840854">the tireless Ashimu has pulled through with another Russian translation!</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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